Automatic drum type machine for the manufacture of brushes

ABSTRACT

The invention pertains to an automatic drum type machine for the manufacture of brushes, wherein the drum comprises at least two frames or workpiece holders, each carrying one or more brush holders proper, the various processing stations being disposed around said drum, characterized in that it comprises substantially the combination of means to impart the suitable width and length movements to the workpiece holders or brush holders situated in front of the drilling tools and in front of the filling tools, means to impart a compensation movement to the workpiece holders or the brush holders situated in front of the drilling and filling tools, or to the drilling tools and the filling tools, means to stop the workpiece holders or the brush holders situated in front of the filling magazines, in front of the shearing and cleaning device, and in front of other processing stations, during the said drilling and filling operation, and means to lock the various workpiece holders or the brush holders proper in their neutral positions during the rotation of the drum.

[lite tates ate oucherie 1 AUTOMATIC DRUM TYPE MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BRUSHES [75] Inventor: Leonel P. Boucherie, Rumbeke,

Belgium [73] Assignee: Firma G.B. Boucherie, naamloze vennootschap, lzegem, Belgium [22] Filed: Mar. 6, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 338,636

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data 1 ,lan.7,1975

Primary ExaminerGranville Y. Custer, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Bacon & Thomas [57] ABSTRACT The invention pertains to an automatic drum type machine for the manufacture of brushes, wherein the drum comprises at least two frames or workpiece holders, each carrying one or more brush holders proper, the various processing stations being disposed around said drum, characterized in that it comprises substantially the combination of means to impart the suitable width and length movements to the workpiece holders or brush holders situated in front of the drilling tools and in front of the filling tools, means to impart a compensation movement. to the workpiece holders or the brush holders situated in front of the drillingland filling tools, or to the drilling tools and the filling tools, means to stop the workpiece holders or the brush holders situated in front of the filling magazines, in front of the shearing and cleaning device, and in front of other processing stations, during the said drilling and filling operation, and] means to lock the various workpiece holders or the brush holders proper in their neutral positions during the rotation of the drum.

7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJA" H975 3,858,941 sum aur This invention relates to an automatic drum or mill type machine for the manufacture of brushes, wherein holes may be provided in one or several brush bodies. Bundles of fibres may be implanted in one or more brush bodies. One or more brushes may be shorn and cleaned out and the finished brush or brushes may be removed from the machine and replaced by one or more virgin brush bodies.

Such a drum type machine for the manufacture of brushes is a very interesting machine since during all the above mentioned processes, the brush bodies are permanently clamped in the same workpiece or brush holder. The number of brush holders is equal to the number of the various operations and the machine is very compact and simple so that, on one hand, it takes a small space and, on the other hand, it is not very expensive and it is very reliable.

However, the so-called drum type machines known heretofore all have the same major drawback in that the so-calledlength movement, width movementand compensation movement are simultaneously imparted to all the workpiece or brush holders, i.e., the brush holders with the brush bodies being drilled, the brush holders with the brush bodies being filled up, and the brush holders situated respectively opposite to the shearing and cleaning device and opposite to the filling magazine.

It is apparent that with these known machines, the

feeding of virgin brush bodies in the machine, on one various abovementioned movements are imparted to.

the workpiece holders, the said various movements being also transmitted to the workpiece holders which are in front of the filling magazine and in front of the shearingand cleaning device. 7

Thus, the feeding of new brush bodies and possibly the shearing and cleaning out of the brushes may be only carried out when the drilling and the filling operations are completely terminated. It is apparent that there are thereby dead times which are detrimental to the production.

Still another reason why, with these known machines, the feeding of new brush bodies, on one hand, and possibly the shearing and cleaning out of the brushes, on the other hand, may be only carried out between two processing cycles, is that, in these known machines, the compensation movement generally required to drill all 7 the holes in the brush body at the same depth and so brush bodies and relative to the shearing and cleaning device.

With the view of obtaining a very productive machine, this invention relates to such machine wherein the removal of the brushes, the feeding of the brush bodies and the shearing and cleaning out of the brushes For this purpose, according to the present invention, the central shaft of the drum will be only rotatingly disposed in the machine frame and the length, width and compensation movements are imparted only to the workpiece or brush holders which are in front of the drilling and filling tools, whereas the other brush holders which are opposite to the filling magazine or magazines andthe shearing and cleaning device or possibly still other processing units, are kept completely station'- ary during the drilling and filling operations. Thus, it is apparent that, during the drilling and filling operations, other operations may be very efficiently carried out.

The drum shaft may be vertically or horizontally disposed by providing, in that case, the length movement of the brush body in a parallel direction with the drum shaft so that the brushes may be machined with long handles, which is not possible with a machine whereby theabove mentioned length movement is directed at right angles with the drum shaft. Still more particularly, by this way, the axis about which every frame of a workpiece holder is rotating, is perpendicular to the axis of the drum or the axis about which the brush holder is rotating, is parallel with the drum shaft.

By this way, the machine may be. very simply constructed. For this purpose, the automatic machine for the manufacture of brushes according to the invention comprises substantially the combination of means for imparting the suitable width and length movements to the workpieceholders or brush holders which are in front of the drilling tools and the filling tools, means allowing to impart a compensation movement to the work piece holders or brush holders which are in front of the drilling tools and the filling tools, or to the dril ling tools and the filling tools, means allowing'to stop the workpiece holders or the brush holders which are in front of the filling magazines, the shearing and cleaning device and the other processing stations, during the above mentioned drilling and filling operations, and means allowing to lock the various workpiece holders or the brush holders proper in their neutral position during the rotation of the drum.

for two other positions;

FIG. 5 is a view taken according to the arrow F, of

FIG. 4.

This embodiment shows a machine having four processing stations, namely a filling station, a drilling-stafilled up with fibres are carried out during the drilling,

and filling cycles.

tion, a station for implanting the filbres and a station for shearing and cleaning out the brushes.

However, it is apparent that such machine may be provided for three, four or more stations.

The important advantage of such machine is that brushes with long handles may be machined, whereas another advantage is that such machine may be very economically and simply constructed since more particularly the locking mechanism may be very simple.

It is apparent that this invention also relates to e.g. machines wherebythe drilling process is unnecessary,

namely machines on which brushes are made with brush bodies previously provided with blind holes. In such case, the above mentioned length and width compensation movements will be imparted only to the brush holder which is in front-of the filling tool.

In this diagrammatically represented embodiment, all the elements of the machine are disposed in a manner about a horizontal shaft 1 forming-the shaft of the drum on which the workpiece holders are secured. This shaft 1 is borne in the machine frame 2 and one end thereof is provided with a toothed wheel 3 continuously engaging a driving mechanism (not shown) known per se. In that case, four bores 4, one per processing station, are provided in said toothed wheel 3 so that a lock 5 carried by the frame 2 may subsequently cooperate for locking the toothed wheel 3, more particularly the drum secured on the shaft 1, relative to the machine frame 2. 1

On the second end of the said shaft 1, is secured the drum proper 6, said drum being formed by a bottom 7 having a continuous peripheral flange 8, the so formed drum (in that case, a square 'drum) being provided on either side with two projections 9 and 10 respectively so that the frame 12of a workpiece holder or a brush holder is secured by means of spindles 11;

Further, said frame 12 is connected, by means of a spindle 13, witha rod 14 which is connected, in a second point, by means of a spindle 15, with a rod 16 the second end of which is connected with the adjoining projection 9 by means of a spindle 17.

The axis passing through the points and 17 will be continuously parallel with the axis passing through the points 11 and 13, thereby forming a parallelogram.

The second end of the rod 14 is provided with two inwardly directed projections 18 and 19 supporting each, by means of a spindle 20 and 21 respectively, a freely rotating wheel 22, 23 respectively. Said wheels are each cooperating with one side of a half circle-shaped segment 24.

By shifting said segment 24 axially of the shaft 1, the so-called length movement will be transmitted to the brush bodies.

For this purpose, as diagrammatically shown in FIG. 3, such segment 24 will be provided with supports 25 and 26 respectively which may be moved through suitable guiding ways 27 and 28, the said supports 25 and 26 being connected with each other through a bridge 29 having a projection 30 carrying a wheel, a following roller or the like 31 capable of cooperating with a suitable cam 32.

On each frame 12, supports 35 and 36 for two brush bodies 37 are secured by means of spindles 33 and 34 respectively.

By means of spindles 38-39 and 40-41, the inner ends of these supports are connected with each other through lathes 42 and 43 respectively.

These lathes 42-43 are connected with each other through a support 44 in which is mounted the free end of a shaft 45 secured on one end of an L-shaped lever 46. The lever 46 is freely rotating on a spindle 47 carare connected with each other through a bridge 57 having a projecting portion 58 on which is mounted a shaft. a wheel or similar 59 continuously cooperating with a cam 60. Said cam is secured on a shaft 61 which is preferably the same as the shaft of the ,cam 32 of FIG. 3.

By suitably shifting the segments 51 and 52 axially of the shaft 1, a suitable width movement is imparted to the elements 35 and 36 and accordingly to the brush bodies secured thereon.

Finally, opposite to the segment 24, is provided a half circle-shaped segment 62 which is fixedly secured relative to the machine frame whereas, opposite to the segments 51-52, are provided segments 63-64 which are also firmly secured relative to the machine frame.

- These segments 62-63-64 are disposed so that the workpiece holders situated on said segments are in their neutral position, namely perpendicular to the drum, respectively by means of the corresponding wheels 23-22, on one hand, and the wheel 50, on the other hand. Of course, no movement will be imparted to the workpiece holder s situated on the stationary segments 62-63-64 which will be kept stationary for the whole period during which they are on said segments.

As diagrammatically shown in FIG. 1, the filling magazines 65 are situated onthe left hand of the machine in the drawing, while the shearing and cleaning device 66 is situated thereunder, the filling device 67 being on the right hand and the drilling devices 68, thereover.

It is apparent that the suitable movements are imparted to theworkpiece holders situated under the drilling devices 68 and near to the filling devices 67 through the segments 24-51 and 52 whereas no movement is imparted to the workpiece'holders opposite to the filling magazines 65. and the shearing and cleaning device 66, since they are kept in place by the stationary segments 62 to 64.

In order to rotate the machine under when the movable segments 24-51 and 52 are disposed so that they are in the extension of the corresponding stationary segments 62-63 and 64, it is sufficient to remove the lock 5 and to suitably drive the toothed wheel 3, each workpiece holder being thereby disposed for the next processing station, whereupon the lock 5 is brought back into a corresponding hole 4 of the toothed wheel 3 for-blocking the drum.

By this way, the brush bodies may be drilled at a first station. Simultaneously, at the second station, the brush bodies may be filled up with fibres and, according to the novelty of this invention, at both other stations, the finished brushes may be shorn and cleaned out, on one hand, and the finished brushes may be removed and replaced by virgin brush bodies, on the other hand. Accordingly, during the drilling and filling operations of the brush bodies, the finished brushes are shorn and cleaned out, whereas the already shom and cleaned brushes are removed and replaced bynew ried on aprojection 48 of the drum, whereas the secbrush bodies. Thusthere is obtained a machine without any dead time and having a very high production, namely a high performance.

FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically and only by way of complementary illustration, the essential driving means of the drilling device and the filling device.

In that case, the unit with the filling tools is movably secured on a slide 69 which may be shifted along shafts or guiding ways 70. The filling tools 67 are reciprocated as known against the brush bodies.

The drilling units 68 may be shifted in a drilling guide 71 which is slidably adapted on guiding ways 72. The drilling units are also reciprocated as known it the common filling guide 71 by means of a lever 73 which is connected with the drilling units, on one hand, and on the other hand, with a lever 74 having its fixed pivot 75 on the drilling guide 71 and the second end of which has a following roller 76 or the like cooperating with a driving cam 77.

The shifting of the filling tools 67, on one hand, and the drilling tools 68, on the other hand, relative to the concerned brush bodies are always of the same order. In order that, independently from the position of the brush body, holes of the same depth may be drilled and holes may be similarly filled up with fibres, it is generally necessary to provide a compensation movement between the brush bodies and the drilling tools, on one hand, and the filling tools, on the other hand. According to the present invention, this compensation movement derives from a cam 78 driven by a shaft, 79 which will be preferably the same as the above mentioned shaft 61. The said cam 78 cooperates with a wheel 80 which is secured on an L-shaped lever 85, on one hand, and a rod 82, on the other hand. The lever 85 has a fixed pivot 86 and is hingedly connected at its second end with a rod 87 which is in turn hingedly connected with the said slide 69 of the filling tools.

At its second end, the rod 82 is hingedly connected with a lever 81 having its fixed pivot at 83 and hingedly connected at its second free end with a rod 84 which in turn is hingedly connected with the said drilling guide 71.

By so shifting the drilling guide 71 with the drilling units 68, on one hand, and the slide 69 with the filling tools 67, on the other hand, there is obtained the suitable compensation movement without requiring any movement of the drum.

It is apparent that the cams 32-60 and 78 will be determined so that, when the machine stops, all the workpiece holders will be in their neutral positions, namely the positions occupied in front of the shearing and cleaning device and in front of the filling magazines. In addition, care will be taken for bringing the filling magazine in its rear position at that time and for removing the shearing and cleaning device so that the drum may be freely rotated.

The present specification describes brush holders of the most conventional type. However, it is apparent that, without departing from the scope of this invention, such brush holders may be replaced by other holders according to the brushes being manufactured and that the compensation movements may be obtained in a manner different from that described.

The present specification describes the transmission of the movements to the brush holders (length and width) respectively to the drilling guide and the slide (with compensation) by the well known method with cams. It is apparent that any other method for transmitting the movements (e.g. step mechanisms and the like) may be applied to the machines according to this invention.

What I claim is:

1. A machine for producing brushes of the type wherein the bristles are introduced in one face of a brush body (37), said machine including at least:

an indexable drum (6) rotatable about a predetermined axis (l) and comprising at least two angularly spaced frames (12) each carrying at least one holder (35, 36) for a brush body (37);

a drilling station adjacent to said drum (6) and comprising means (68) for drilling holes into said brush body disposed adjacent said drilling station;

a filling station adjacent to said drum (6) and comprising means (67) for introducing bristles into the holes in said brushbody drilled at said drilling sta tion;

further station means adjacent to said drum and comprising further means (65) to feed new brush bodies to the holders and (66) to trim and clean the bristles introduced in the brush bodies;

first control means (13-32) to impart to said brush bodies (37) in said drilling and filling stations a lengthwise movement parallel to said drum axis (1) and to prevent this movement in said further station means;

and second control means (33, 34, 38-61) to impart to said brush bodies in said drilling and filling stations a transverse movement perpendicular to said drum axis (1) and to prevent this movement in said further station means.

2. A machine for producing brushes according to claim 1, wherein each of said frames (12) is pivoted to said drum (6) about an axis (11) which is perpendicular to said drum axis (1) and wherein said first control means (13-32) include:

a first ring (24, 62) which is coaxial with said drum axis (1) and which has a displaceable portion (24) in said drilling and filling stations and a stationary portion (62) in said further station means;

a plurality of first rollers (22, 23) coupled (13-21) to said frames (12) and guided by said first ring (24,

andfirst cam controlled displacement means (25-32) to displace said displaceable first ring portion (24) in a direction parallel to said drum axis (6) and to thereby impart a said lengthwise movement to said frames (12) and therefore to the holders (35, 36) and brush bodies (37) carried thereon.

3. A machine for producing brushes according to claim 1, wherein each of said brush body holders (35, 36) carried by a said frame (12) is pivoted to said frame (12) about an axis (34) parallel to said drum axis (1) and wherein said second control means (33, 34, 38-61) include:

a second ring (51, 52, 64) which is coaxial with said drum axis (1) and which has a displaceable portion (51, 52) in said drilling and filling stations and a stationary portion (64) in said further station means;

a plurality of second rollers (50) coupled (38-49) to said holders (35, 36) and guided by said second ring;

and second cam controlled displacement means (53-61) to displace said displaceable second ring portion (51, 52) in a direction parallel to said drum axis (6) and to thereby impart a said transverse movement to said holders (35, 36) and therefore to the brush bodies (37) carried thereon.

4. A machine for producing brushes, according to claim 2, wherein each of said frames (12) is pivoted to a flange portion (9, 10) of said drum (6) about said axis which is perpendicular to said drum axis (6) and to one end of a rod (14) the other end (16, 19) of which carries two said first rollers (22, 23) guided by the one and other sides of said first ring (24, 62) respectively.

5. A machine for producing brushes, according to claim 4, wherein a lever (16) is pivoted to said rod (14) intermediate the ends thereof and to (17) said flange portion (9, 10), the pivot points (15, 17) of said lever (16) being located on a line which is parallel to the line interconnecting the pivot points (11, 13) of said frames on said drum and of said rod on said frame.

6. A machine for making brushes, according to claim 3, wherein each of said brush body holders (35, 36) is carried by slidable supports. 

1. A machine for producing brushes of the type wherein the bristles are introduced in one face of a brush body (37), said machine including at least: an indexable drum (6) rotatable about a predetermined axis (1) and comprising at least two angularly spaced frames (12) each carrying at least one holder (35, 36) for a brush body (37); a drilling station adjacent to said drum (6) and comprising means (68) for drilling holes into said brush body disposed adjacent said drilling station; a filling station adjacent to said drum (6) and comprising means (67) for introducing bristles into the holes in said brush body drilled at said drilling station; further station means adjacent to said drum and comprising further means (65) to feed new brush bodies to the holders and (66) to trim and clean the bristles introduced in the brush bodies; first control means (13-32) to impart to said brush bodies (37) in said drilling and filling stations a lengthwise movement parallel to said drum axis (1) and to prevent this movement in said further station means; and second control means (33, 34, 38-61) to impart to said brush bodies in said drilling and filling stations a transverse movement perpendicular to said drum axis (1) and to prevent this movement in said further station means.
 2. A machine for producing brushes according to claim 1, wherein each of said frames (12) is pivoted to said drum (6) about an axis (11) which is perpendicular to said drum axis (1) and wherein said first control means (13-32) include: a first ring (24, 62) which is coaxial with said drum axis (1) and which has a displaceable portion (24) in said drilling and filling stations and a stationary portion (62) in said further station means; a plurality of first rollers (22, 23) coupled (13-21) to said frames (12) and guided by said first ring (24, 62); and first cam controlled displacement means (25-32) to displace said displaceable first ring portion (24) in a direction parallel to said drum axis (6) and to thereby impart a said lengthwise movement to said frames (12) and therefore to the holders (35, 36) and brush bodies (37) carried thereon.
 3. A machine for producing brushes according to claim 1, wherein each of said brush body holders (35, 36) carried by a said frame (12) is pivoted to said frame (12) about an axis (34) parallel to said drum axis (1) and wherein said second control means (33, 34, 38-61) include: a second ring (51, 52, 64) which is coaxial with said drum axis (1) and which has a displaceable portion (51, 52) in said drilling and filling stations and a stationary portion (64) in said further station means; a plurality of second rollers (50) coupled (38-49) to said holders (35, 36) and guided by said second ring; and second cam controlled displacement means (53-61) to displace said displaceable second ring portion (51, 52) in a direction parallel to said drum axis (6) and to thereby impart a said transverse movement to said holders (35, 36) and therefore to the brush bodies (37) carried thereon.
 4. A machine for producing brushes, according to claim 2, wherein each of said frames (12) is pivoted to a flange portion (9, 10) of said drum (6) about said axis which is perpendicular to said drum axis (6) and to one end of a rod (14) the other end (16, 19) of which carries two said first rollers (22, 23) guided by the one and other sides of said first ring (24, 62) respectively.
 5. A machine for producing brushes, according to claim 4, wherein a lever (16) is pivoted (15) to said rod (14) intermediate the ends thereof and to (17) said flange portion (9, 10), the pivot points (15, 17) of said lever (16) being located on a line which is parallel to the line interconnecting the pivot points (11, 13) of said frames on said drum and of said rod on said frame.
 6. A machine for making brushes, according to claim 3, wherein each of said brush body holders (35, 36) is coupled (38-45) with one end of an L-shaped lever (46) the angle portion of which is pivoted (41) to said drum (6) and the other end (49) of which carries a said second roller (50) guided in a groove of said second ring (51, 52).
 7. A machine for making brushes, according to claim 1, wherein said drilling (68) and filling (67) means are carried by slidable supports. 